Before there was Lorde, there was a whole bunch of other strong-willed Kiwi ladies writing hits, dazzling audiences and heading overseas to try to take their music to the world.
This new feature-length documentary, part of the Prime Rocks series, which covers both local and international acts, sets out to profile some of the women who were part of that first vanguard.
With Karyn Hay - a woman who's been in the radio and television side of the industry for decades herself, first on Radio NZ and Hauraki, then Radio With Pictures, Kiwi FM, and now Radio Live - taking the role of interviewer, it's driven by disarmingly open and candid interviews.
Shona Laing, Sharon O'Neill, Jenny Morris, Margaret Urlich, Anika Moa, and Brooke Fraser each open up about how they got started, the process of being discovered and signed, and their various trials and tribulations in the industry, as well as some poignant dissections of their songs.
"I wanted to do this because I think the women can be overlooked a bit in New Zealand music. I don't think we pay homage to them in the way we often do with men" Hay explains. "Of course we couldn't cover them all in this one-hour documentary - I think we could definitely make a series. But men still get a lot of focus in music, and I wanted to share the stories of these women who've been just as creative and successful and groundbreaking, who took risks, and really set the stage for the next generation of artists like Lorde."
Hay goes to visit each artist in their current home or studio, and talks to each of them independently about their memories, and their reflections on a life in the music industry.
"I know most of them, and a couple of them are good friends, so that makes a difference - I really did want it to be a real conversation rather than an interview," Hay explains.
Moa talks about the whirlwind of her early career, and what happened in the US that made her make the decision to jump on a plane and come home, as well as juggling motherhood with a life of touring. Laing discusses her time in London, and the various industry forces that thwarted her success but perhaps also saved her from a long road of alcohol and drug addiction. Morris shares her memories of Michael Hutchence, and ups and downs of a career in Australia, as well as her recent health problems which have ended her singing career. And O'Neill, Urlich, and Fraser all have equally compelling stories to share.
"I think one thing that occurred to me after talking to all these women, is that it so often is a case of fame without fortune. It's not that it was about that for them, but I think without the fortune part, it can be very hard to sustain a career, and so they haven't had the opportunity to keep going, and keep growing like Patti Smith or Lucinda Williams, for example."
Hearing all their hits once more, woven throughout the documentary as they move between the women, is also a very potent reminder of the breadth of their talent and their success.
"They're just so amazingly talented, it really is wonderful to be able to highlight that. I think this could definitely be one of a six-part series, there's a whole raft of women who have great stories to tell. I guess these six were sort of pioneers, which is why we started there.
"They went first, and they experienced all the contractual issues and management issues and label issues and the issues of being from an isolated, small country, trying to make it on a global stage. They broke the ground. They're a very valuable part of the success of New Zealand music."
TV Show: Prime Rocks NZ Women in Rock When: Tuesday, 8.30pm Where: Prime What: The first queen bees
The Women of Pike River.
Nearly five years to the day since 29 men were killed in the Pike River Mine disaster, comes the documentary The Women Of Pike River, which talks to the wives, mothers, sisters, and friends of the men who were lost and explains their story.
The film by Mary Durham, which screened to acclaim earlier this year at the New Zealand International Film Festival in Christchurch, tells the stories of six women - Anna Osbourne, Nan Dixon, Kath Monk, Olivia Monk, Sonya Rockhouse and Brenda Rackley - who were deeply affected by the tragedy.
"These women each lost someone very dear to them," says Durham. "Their husbands, partners, sons and brothers would still be alive today were it not for Pike River Coal's complete failure to follow basic work safety standards. They have a lot of questions and a lot of emotion.
"They tell us much about the tragedy that we haven't heard before- from the men's concerns about working in the mine, to how the families were treated in the days following the first explosion when authorities were talking of a rescue."
The Women of Pike River follows the women on a four-year quest as they fight for justice, accountability and re-entry into the mine.
TV Show: The Women of Pike River When: Tuesday, 9.35pm Where: One What: The mining tragedy through the eyes of the wives, mothers and sisters left behind
